Rail puller and expander



Jan. 31, 1933. F, J. JAKoUBl-:K ET AL 1,895,664

RAIL FULLER AND EXPANDER Filed NOV. 2l, 1931 Inl/211mg.

25 F 271ml? zLe an afd/722122::7 Pac/w/eba Patented Jan. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS FRANK'J. JAKOUBEK, or ELivIwoon PARK, ANDL EDMUND IAoiiowrca'on Ciiicneo, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoRs 'ro TEMPLETON, KENLY & co. LIMITED, or cnicas@ ILLIivoIs,

RAIL FULLER AND EXPANDER 1 Application led November A21, 1931. Serial No. 576,474.

This invention relates to improvements in rail puller and expander and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The puller and expander with which our invention is more particularly concerned, is of the kind employed in railway track maintenance for lining crossings, inserting and renewing libre and like end posts and testing the holding power ofrail anchors orA anticreepers. Devices as now made for this pura pose, include a pair of nut-like housings disposed upon one side of the web of the meeting ends of abutting rails and these nuts receive the ends of an actuating screw. This screw has oppositely threaded ends anda ratchet wheel midway between itsends with which a lever receiving socket. carrying a reversible o pawl is associated. When the device is einployed in lining crossings and pulling together and expanding rails, a splice bar is also employed and is disposed upon the other side of the abutting rail ends and bolts carried by the housings extend through said splice bar to receive nuts to clamp the parts together.

When the pawl associated with the lever socket and ratchet has been properly manipu- .lated and the lever is actuated, the ends of "o the rails to which the device is applied are pushed apart or expanded in one instance and pulled together or contracted in the other instance. When the device is employed in ap- 3 plying end posts between the rail ends, the

splice bar on that side of the rail ends opposite the nut-like housing is not employed and the associated nuts are simply reversed upon the clamping bolts.

SuchI a device has certain inherent objections which our improved rail puller and expander overcomes. When the device is employed in applying end posts and the splice bar before mentioned, it is apparent that ythe 4,5 great tension of the rails when pushed apart is taken up by the screw alone, with the resultthat the screw often buckles and then binds in the nut-like housings. As the space in which the device is employed is quite limited, increasing the diameter of the screw to overcome'this buckling action is impractical if not impossible. Y .y The primary object of the invention is to improve the structure; and arrangement of the associated parts, so-thatitis unneces,

sary to remove' 'any component`-partsthereof,

when the device isunder thetension ofexpanded raily ends forthe insertion of; aiiend post, thus 'retaining the greatest strength in the device whenV` most neededand eliminating any buckling actionl on the screw and its subsequent binding in the nut-like housings.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a device of this kindgwhich includes a channel-shape bar to receive the nut-like housings and which bar is so formed that said housings can move thereon in the operation of the device and also acts toprevent-the buckling of the screw and at the same time leave the other side ofthe rail free vfor the lateral insertion of thel end post. The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the many advantagesthereof, will more fully appear as we proceed with our specification.

In the drawing Q Fig. lis a perspective view of our improved rail puller and expander as when ap- Fig. 4L is a perspective view of a certain brace bar embodied in ourimproved rail puller and expander and which will be more fully referred to later. i L p- Y j Referring now in'v detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing: vland Qindicateprespectively abutting rail ends, which are to be v spread apart or.` expanded for the purposeof Inserting an* end P0515 3 in the space or,` gap therebetween. i

The rails which are of'standard cross section, each include va base flange 4,r an upright *webv anda head 6, the end post 3 which is usually made of fibrous material, having a similar cross section.v

The device comprises as a whole, a pair of housing-like nut lme1nbers"7 each including ahead 8 on one end of abasefflange 9 land the'headsS are internally and longitudinally threaded in the Yusual manner; that is,

. -Eachheadis connectedto the otherV en d .of c

onehas a Yright y.hand thread andthe other has aleft hand thread therein to lreceive the ends of an oppositely threaded screw 10.

the `base by top .and bottom flanges.Y 11'.V and in each-base isa longitudinal slot 9a."

i Between, the threaded parts of the screw f -10 is fixeda ratchetwheel 12`- This ratchet 'y wheell is disposed between thespaced arms (not shown)V isV inserted Vfor vactuating the '7., zsameV Also pivotedbetweensaid arms 13 13 Vof'a.socketmember 14:l into which a lever isya' reversible pawl 15,`whi'ch`is yieldingly y held iny ythe properv ratchet wheel engaging `member 8 is anchored a-threaded stud 18 preferably secured in place by a. cross pin 19l and associated with the slotted end of the base of each housing member is a bolt 18a.

Instead offhaving the, housings engaged i directly with the side ofthe web of said rail ends and applying a splice'bar tothe other sidethereof, as heretofore, I provide the following l i' Y i Y 20 indicates a housing receiving and guiding brace bar of such a channel-shaped cross Y [section as to include a web 21, a base flange 22 and a top flange 23, the latter being of a depth less than the former. One face of the web of said bar ismade of a contour along the insidefitting the sidefof the web of Ya rail and-is flat along its otheror outside, while `the flanges 22 and 23 are inclined in accordance with the top surface of oneside of lthe base and the bottom. surface of one side ofV the head; `The bar however, is ofsuch perpendicular dimensions that said-flanges have lafslightclearance with respect to said base and head: VIn each end of the web of this bar are longitudinal slots 24 of substantial `lengthand the outer face of said web above 'andbelow said slots are'formed toprovide top and bottom longitudinal surfaces 25 uponr which the nut-likehousings engage.

Assume now that' it is desired to insert an end post 3 between saidv rail ends. The bar l2Ois'placed upon-one side of the rail ends and Vthen the; two housings Y 7 which areV mounted on the lscrewlQare engaged with their bases against the surfaces 25 of the brace bar. The studs 18 carried' by said housing-like nut members are then yinserted, through the slots 24 of the bar and through i' the endmost holes 5a in thewebs of said rail.

The bolts 18a which eXtend-throughthe slots 9a 'in the Vbase ofV they housing-like members 7 have rectangular heads engagingr the flanges-11 on said Vhousing-like memberslto prevent turning of` said bolts, are ,then inserted through the .slots 2Llin thepbracebarvl l and through the holes 5b inthe rail ends. By means Yofthe slot arrangement in the base of the housing-like nut-members and in the brace bar, theylwillaccommodate dinerent spacings between the holes 5cl-,5b in the rail ends..H I f The studs'18 and` bolts 18a are ofsuch" length that the plain-.unthreaded portions the rail ends and upon the threaded vends thereof, nuts 26 areapplied.` Each nut is preferably made from squarestockandjis 'relatively long and in each endthe nut is enlarged interiorljT as `at 26a so as to loverhang a part Vof the'unthre'aded end lofthe stud orrybolt with which it is associated. Thusv 1 when the nuts 26 are ti,'ghtlyk drawn up on the. vstuds andbolts, thev associated housing-like nut members 7f'7 are tightlygsecured to the Yrail ends.` tion, it isA desirable that Vthe surfaces 25'of In applying the parts in posithe brace bar be lubricated.4 f

When thepawl 15 has been properly' set,

an up and down movement on the lever inserted in the socket `member 1l'lwill turn thev screwflOl in the' proper `direction tolj'cause the "housing-like nut members to travel outwardf vly'toward the ends of thescrew,slid-ing with a guided bearing engagement onthersur'faces 105 of the `brace bar. the rail i ends are connected to the "housing-like nuts, bytheA studs 18 andbolts 18ait is apparent that thek rail ends are forced' endwise apart or expanded. When the space or gap between the Y rail ends isuwide enough to permit the insertion of an endpost 3', thisv is done from that "side of the rail ends, opposite the housing members. After the end post has been inserted, the pawl 15 ris' manipulated' to 'cause the Q 'pscrew to move said housing-like nut members toward' each other and this pulls orv draws the rail ends together after which the usual splice bars are applied to finish upthe `joint.

It is apparent that when the Vrail ends are thus expanded,Y a heavy tension is `imposed upon the screw and heretofore 1n structures Vthereof extend beyond-the oppesite side 'of .5

for likev purpose, ysuch a tension buckled vor Y bent the screw so that a.- binding action developed which made the device difficult to,

operate if not impossible.l 'n Y Such a bucklingof the screw'in the present instance is eliminated because of the bracing action of the bar` which holds all parts in ,their true 4aligned position.

viding the bar20 atwofold function is had inf l.

Th b -Y us ky pro 130i that it holds the rail ends in proper alignment and also forms a guide upon which the housing-like nut members have a guided movement. Because of its channel-like cross sectional shape, it can be made of relatively light stock and its resistance to bending is such as to prevent any buckling thereof. The device may also be employed with equal facility in lining crossings and pulling or expanding rails as well as for testing the holding powers of rail anchors.

While in describing the invention, we have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the various parts thereof, the same is to be considered merely as illustrative only, so that we do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

IVe claim as our invention 1. A device of the kind described comprising housing membersadapted to be disposed in longitudinally spaced relation upon one side of abutting rail ends and each to be secured to an associated rail end, means including a screw operatively engaged with the housing members for moving them away from and toward each other and a member disposed upon the same side of and overlapping said rail ends and spanning the gap between them for guiding said housing members in their movement and for bracing the screw against bending under the action of the expended rail ends.

2. A device of the kind described comprising housing members adapted to be disposedy in longitudinally spaced relation upon one side of abutting rail ends and each to be secured to an associated rail end, means including a screw operatively engaged with the housing members for moving them away from and toward each other and a member disposed between said housing members and rail ends and spanning the gap between said rail ends and providing a guide upon which said housing members may be moved, said member also bracing the screw against bending under the action of the expanded rail ends.

3. A device of the kind described comprising housing members adapted to be disposed in longitudinally spaced relation upon o-ne side of abutting rail ends and each to besecured to an associated rail end, means including a screw operatively engaged with the housing members for moving them away from and toward each other and a member disposedon the same side of said rail ends and engaged with the web thereof and spanning thegap between them, said member being formed to provide a surface upon which said housing members have a guided sliding movement and acting to brace the screw against bending under the action of the eX- panded rail ends.

4. A device of the kind described comprising housing members adapted to-be disposed inlongitudinally spaced relation upon one cured to an associated rail end, means including a screw operatively engaged with the housing members for moving them awayk from and toward each other and a channel member disposed between said housing members and rail ends and spanning the gap bemember being formed to provide a surfacev upon which said housing members may move inl a guided path.

vside of abutting rail ends and each to be seso p 5. A device of the kind described embody- I ing therein housing members disposed in 1ongitudinally spaced relation, means including a screw operatively engaged with the housing members for moving them away from and toward each other, a bracing member disf posed between said housing members and the ends of abutting rail members, said member being formed to provide a guided movement for said housing members and having longitudinal slots therein, threaded devices car" ried by the housing member and extending through said slots in said bracing member and through openings in said rails and nuts on said threaded devices on the other side of said rail ends.

6. In a device Vof the kind described, ing members adapted to be disposed upon one side of abutting rail ends, means including a screw operatively engaged'with the housing members for moving them toward and away from each other, devices carried at one end by said housing members and eX- houstending through said rail ends and Jthreaded at their ends beyond saidrrail ends and nuts disposed upon said devices and engaged with the other side of said rail ends and having enlarged end openings to surround and accommodate unthreaded parts of said devices near vsaid rail ends.

7. In a rail puller and expander, a bracing` bar adapted for engagement with one side of abutting rail ends, said bar including a web and top and bottom outwardly extending flanges, said web having longitudinal slots therein, one face of said web being formed for a snug engagement with one side of the web .of said rail ends and the other side being surfaces, one on each side of said slots.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this lth day of October, y1931.

FRANK J. JAKOUBEK. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7 th day of October, 1931. y

EDMUND PACI-IOWICZ.

formed with longitudinally extending guide 

